Fujiwara no Michinobu

21/03/2023| Eli| 0 Comment| 8:40 pm

- Period: Heian Period
- Occupation: Waka Poet, Commander of the Imperial Guard
- Family: Fujiwara no Tamemitsu (father) Fujiwara no Kaneie (adopted by) Fujiwara no Tadanobu (brother) Fujiwara no Kiminobu (brother) Fujiwara no Teishi (sister)
- Birth: 972AD
- Death: 994AD

Fujiwara no Michinobu

Fujiwara no Michinobu (藤原道信) was a member of the Fujiwara Clan, most specifically the Hokke Branch living from 972-994AD.

He was the son of Fujiwara no Tamemitsu, but was adopted by his uncle Kaneie in his lifetime.

During his life he was Commander of the Imperial Guard but died young at the age of 22.

49 of his poems can be found in the Imperial Anthologies and he was included as one of the Thirty Six Poetic Geniuses of the Late Classical Period.¹

One of his poems (No.52) can be found in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and goes as follows:

Japanese text²	Romanized Japanese¹	English translation¹
明けぬれば暮るるものとは知りながらなをうらめしきあさぼらけかな	Akenureba kururu mono to wa shirinagara nao urameshiki asaborake kana	Though the sun has risen, I know I can see you again when it sets at dusk. Yet even so, how I hate this cold light of dawn.

Footnotes

1. MacMillan, P. (2018) ”One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each: A Treasury of Classical Japanese Verse”. St. Ives: Penguin Classics.
2. Suzuki, H. et al. (1997) ”Genshoku: Ogura Hyakunin Isshu”. Tokyo: Bun’eidō.

Thirty Six Poetic Geniuses of the Late Classical Period
Fujiwara no Sadayori * Fujiwara no Masatsune * Fujiwara no Michinobu * Fujiwara no Michitsuna no Haha * Fujiwara no Mototoshi * Fujiwara no Yoshitaka * Kujō Yoshitsune * Priest Nōin

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